If you have a conviction for a misdemeanor, traffic offense, or municipal ordinance violation from a municipal court, it is possible to obtain a pardon for that conviction, but the process to apply for such a pardon is completely different than the process to get pardoned for a conviction from a circuit or district court.

The mayor of a municipality has the power to grant a pardon of municipal court convictions.  Ala. Code § 12-14-15 provides, “The mayor may remit fines and such costs as are payable to the municipality and commute sentences imposed by a municipal court or the court to which an appeal was taken for violations of municipal ordinances and may grant pardons, after conviction, for violation of such ordinances, and he shall report his action to the council or other governing body at the first regular meeting thereof in the succeeding month with his reasons therefor in writing.”

When I have helped clients with this process, I have written a letter to the mayor asking the mayor to grant a pardon.  I never have had a mayor reject the letter as an unsuitable means to apply.

I sometimes suspect that not many lawyers know that a mayor has this authority, and I don’t believe many mayors know it either.  Every time I have made such a request, the mayor in question has been surprised to learn that he has this power.

If you have a conviction from a municipal court that is causing you problems, like a DUI or a Domestic Violence conviction, or one that embarrasses you, or you just want to clean up your record for whatever reason, you might consider seeking a mayoral pardon.